If the Make-a-Wish Foundation announced they would arrange for you to spend lunch with anyone on earth, who would you choose? For millions of people, it would be some sports figure, pop singer, TV or movie star. For a few others it might be a politician, a writer, a special scientist, maybe even a man of God. And what if in some miraculous way, it might be someone from any point in human history? You might have an immediate answer, or then again, perhaps you’d have to think about it. I would hope that as a Christian, Christ Jesus might be your first answer. But then again, if you could meet only one person, perhaps you’d not choose the Lord Jesus, because it is already guaranteed that you will meet Him soon.
Everyone will someday meet Christ – whether they are Buddhists or Baptists, theists or atheists. Hebrews 9:27 says, “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” And before whom will we stand? Who will be our Judge? “The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son” – ie. the Lord Jesus Christ. When Paul said, “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad,” he was thinking of Christians, but in fact, non-Christians at some point will have to stand before Him as well. In prophecy John saw “the dead, (all the dead,) small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” YOU are going to meet Christ, one way or another. You are going to meet Christ, one day or another. God “hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.” There are enough scriptures making this declaration that no one should be bold enough to ignore them.
If you should leave this world unforgiven – unregenerated – unconcerned or even rebellious, then your meeting with God will be a terrible event. There is however a way of meeting the Lord today which can remove all the terror of that day. It is possible for imperfect, sinful, wicked people like us to know that our guilt has been removed, making that inevitable meeting a blessed event. A meeting between you and Jehovah today, can be arranged on grace and divine love. It may be – it still should be – traumatic, but it can end in joy and peace.
I’d like to consider Isaiah’s meeting with Jehovah in a way that I’ve not used it before. Keeping in mind that Isaiah is one of the most evangelical books in the Old Testament let’s consider this chapter a little more evangelically than we usually do. My proposition for the day – unless you meet the Lord much the way Isaiah did you will not be prepared to meet Him in the last day – the day of judgment.
Let’s first consider the circumstances.
“In the year that king Uzziah died.” Uzziah reigned over Judah for 52 years, but he had either just died or was near death. After the second decade of his reign, Judah pretty well knew what to expect from the man. And after another two decades and into yet another, Judean social life was pretty-well established. But now Jotham, in his mid-twenties, was coming to the throne. There was political pressure, economic pressure and the powerful Assyrians were rattling their sabers. There was a great deal of worry in the nation.
Can we make some modern applications? Should we? We have a neophyte moving into the White House; congress and others have doubts about his leadership. The world is filled with terrorists with their blood-shot eyes staring down at the United States. And we can’t decide if the Russians are in the President’s pocket or if it is the other way around. Do you suppose that the people Judah were praying their new political situation? Was Isaiah thinking about coming into the throne room of God seeking His blessing? “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” If Isaiah was praying for guidance, that is only on the periphery of what I want us to consider.
I don’t read that Isaiah asked for an audience with the King of kings – Jehovah. This has every appearance of a complete surprise to the man of God. In other words, it was the sovereign will of God that Isaiah was there; it was at the Lord’s command. Proud mankind, even Christians, seem to think that they have a right to march into the presence of God. Too often we think that God is there to help us; to answer our questions; to meet our needs; to save us. We seek gifts and strength from the Lord to cope with external pressures – like a change in government. Sometimes, it is by mercy that He takes a sledge hammer to our purposes, compelling us to consider first things. “Isaiah, this is not about who is President or if the Koreans are pointing nuclear bombs at you. Are you forgetting,” says Jehovah, “that everything is about me, not you?”
One of the unbiblical aspects of modern evangelism is the idea that sinners can to walk up to God requesting forgiveness for their sins – or in a sense, demanding salvation. Nobody has the right to enter into the presence of Jehovah on their own – ever. Not angels, not saints and certainly not sinners. Only the invited enter. Only the elect, the chosen.
One day, in the year 758 BC, Isaiah found himself in the presence of God.
He found himself submerged in the holiness of Jehovah; everything about that occasion was holy. For example, there was that high and elevated throne. I wish that Isaiah would have explained what the train of the Lord was that day. All that I can picture is a bride’s wedding dress dragging behind her as she walks into the chapel. Perhaps that is what it was – the Lord’s royal robe was so large it touched every corner of the room. And there were those angelic creatures, seraphims, antiphonally calling back and forth, “Holy, holy, holy.” I have explained that triune call as referring to the triune personage of God – the Father, Son and Spirit. But some commentators simply suggest that the angels repeated themselves for emphasis. And then as I thought about it, I wondered if their cries didn’t rise into a crescendo? “Holy, Holy,” no, no, no “HOLY is Jehovah of hosts.” The Hebrew word translated “cried” is also “call” and “proclaim.” Amen! Preach it Mr. Angel. How loud is the voice of a seraphim? How loud will be the voice of the Archangel and the trump of God as the Lord returns? I wonder if Isaiah had to cover his ears, or if his hearing was permanently impaired as Paul’s sight was impaired after his conversion.
The word “holy” speaks of separation – a very special kind of separation. It is not the separation that a fence builds around someone’s private space. It is the separation which exists between 2 things which cannot co-exist – black and white; light and darkness. This is a holiness which will not permit sin into its presence.
This holiness includes Jehovah’s Lordship – His SOVEREIGNTY – His Kingship. Isaiah saw the Lord seated upon a throne – high and lifted up. What is meant by throne? I have three special chairs at my house – one in my study, one in the living room with a foot rest, and one at the kitchen table. I would not call any of them a throne. Properly or not, the word suggests to me – a place of authority. Ezekiel saw the Lord sitting on a throne – it had “the appearance of a sapphire stone.” The prophet Micaiah saw “the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left.” That must have been a pretty impressive throne room. And the Apostle John saw God’s throne as well. “And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever.” God’s throne isn’t the only testimony here to the sovereignty of God, but suggests it.
We see God’s GREATNESS in this scripture. The Lord was high and lifted up, surrounded by bevy of six-winged seraphs. Their posture has much to teach proud sinners like us. They had two wings covering their faces, suggesting they were not worthy to look upon the Lord. Despite their personal purity, they were not worthy to be in the Lord’s presence. Embarrassed. They sought to hide themselves from the penetrating look of the holy God. They had two wings covering their feet. It is as though they considered this part of their bodies as unfit to be seen. Most people’s feet live in darkness, hidden from the eyes of man; they are unworthy of God. And they had two wings which they used to “stand” or “attend” to the Lord, hovering over Him to do whatever He wanted. When people come into the presence of the Lord it should be like these creatures. It should be with reverent restraint, thorough self-effacement and readiness to serve. But that is not how we come – most approach God asking Him to serve us. “Lord save us else we die.”
In the attitude and posture of the Seraphims, don’t we see an illustration of humble hearts? When Christ Jesus said, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish….” When Paul said, “God…. now commandeth all men every where to repent….” When Peter said, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out….” Can’t we picture the humble attitude of these Seraphims?
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory.” Isaiah was in a midst of a vision of God’s throne room, and yet the whole earth…. is full of Jehovah’s glory. I see the omnipresence of God – that His presence is everywhere; He is near everyone. There is no escape from the presence of God; nothing is missed by His sight and His full understanding. When that sinner is invited by the Holy Spirit to call on Christ’s name for salvation, it would be good to understand how exposed He is. “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” The Lord knows every one of your wicked ways. What makes you think you can demand His forgiveness and salvation?
When we envision God’s holiness, we should picture PURITY in one fashion or another. “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil.” Isaiah, sensing this, humbly muttered, “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” Sin is a rebellion against God’s authority; guilt is a rebellion against God as a lawgiver and judge. And uncleanness is a recognition of God’s purity. When we come before the Lord it should be with a recognition of our defilement – our uncleanness. That sense of defilement before God is not morbid, neurotic or unhealthy in any way. It is realistic, healthy and a true recognition of our condition.
“I am a man of unclean lips.” Was Isaiah thinking of the malice with which he spoke of some sinners he knew? Was he referring to those few words of gossip which he uttered? Maybe it was in regard to his preaching – did he sugar-coat his words, or shape them to enhance his own reputation? Perhaps it was the pride which he carefully hid in some of his prophecies. “And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips.” He didn’t offer this as an excuse – it was just a statement of fact. Did he sometimes accommodate his ministry to the weaknesses of the Judeans?
“Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.” Why does the Lord save wicked people like us? I’m not smart enough to unequivocally answer that question. I have heard intelligent people make their suggestions, but I’m not even smart enough to judge them. Then in my study of this chapter I saw something which I had never considered before. Don’t we see the purifying mercy which Isaiah experienced flowing directly out of the holiness of God. I hope that you are familiar with Romans 3:23 – “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified (declared righteous) freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation (or satisfaction of God’s justice) through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” Christ died for sinners that God might remain holy, and still make him which believeth in Christ, righteous.
At the Lord’s command, one of the seraphims flew to Isaiah with a burning coal taken from the altar. The altar? Where was that in the throne room of God? It wasn’t. This throne room is equivalent to the Holy of Holies, just inside the Holy Place, and outside, in the pathway to the Holy Place was the altar where the sacrifices were made. “Lo, this hath touched your sinfulness; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.” This coal represents the application of the sacrifice – the application of the blood of Christ from the cross. If we use Isaiah as a picture of a lost man, then it was at this point he was cleansed, regenerated, saved from his sin.
With these in mind, let me suggest some mistakes which Isaiah might have been making.
These are mistakes often made by corrupt evangelists and by their victims. For example, some people think of God like a bank manager; someone to be used for their benefit. Some evangelists rub Aladdin’s magic lamp, and pray the magic words, and expect the gene of salvation to pop out. “My Father which art in Heaven, let’s ignore thy holy name for a minute, My will be done, on earth and here in my soul today.” Again, I point out that it was at God’s invitation that Isaiah was there. It was on God’s terms, and in the midst of God’s undefilable holiness. “You may come in Isaiah, but cover your face, cover your feet and your hands. You have nothing to offer Me. You are nothing before Me.”
Isaiah may earlier have considered himself to be somebody before the eyes of the Lord. He may have thought that he was accepted and acceptable before the Lord. After all, he was religious, and relatively obedient to the law. He was a preacher of righteousness, and he had a few children whom he had taught the Word of God. He was not like some of the other prophets; he was high born, far more gifted. “I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.” “God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.” No matter what he was or what he had been, when Isaiah was summoned into the presence of God, he became nothing – he saw himself for what he was. “Woe is me! For I am undone.” The man may have entered that throne room with concerns, requests, and bold ideas. But when he properly saw God, he didn’t even have any prayer requests to leave behind. Without expressing the words, his heart said, “God be merciful to me, a sinner.”
On the other hand, one his mistakes was to despair when he compared himself to the holiness of God. Initially, he thought there was no hope for him, and in that he was not far wrong. But, there he was before the God who is merciful as well as holy. Despite Isaiah’s sins, God’s grace was infinitely greater. “Thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.” But I guarantee that those words would not have been heard, if the man had not checked his pride at the door.
Conclusion:
Among the many things which we should see in this chapter, here are a few. God is holy, and no one, on his own accord or whim, can ever have fellowship with Jehovah. Salvation and fellowship are based upon the invitation of God, not the request or demand of the sinner. If there is going to be any fellowship and salvation, it will come upon the application of God’s proscribed sacrifice. You and I – Isaiah, David and Daniel – have no personal holiness or even a minimal concept of God’s holiness.
If God plants in your heart a desire for deliverance from your sin, then you must accept and implement His gifts of repentance and trust. Like Isaiah, you must feel your stuffing knocked out – your pride and self-righteousness. And you must be willing to trust the application of the sacrifice. I am talking about faith in the death of the Son of God on the cross of Calvary.